The copyright of web novels
The copyright of online novels usually belonged to the author, not the platform or the publishing company. When writing online novels, authors usually registered their copyrights under their own names to ensure that their legal rights were protected. If the online novel is adapted or translated by the platform or the publishing company, the platform or the publishing company may own the copyright and have the right to use it for commercial purposes. However, the author's creative labor and storyline in the original work still belonged to him. Therefore, when reading online novels, we must pay attention to protecting the author's intellectual property rights, such as timely payment of copyright fees, to avoid copyright infringement, and so on.
The copyright fees for web novels
According to the search results provided, the copyright fees for online novels had increased significantly in the past decade. According to the document [1], in 2016, the price of some top IPs had exceeded 10 million yuan. The documents [2] and [5] mentioned that the copyright fee for the novel was 60 million RMB, which was considered one of the highest records for the copyright transaction of online novels in China. In addition, the document [6] also mentioned that the copyright price of online novels had increased by 10 times or more, and some online writers had reached millions or even tens of millions. However, he did not provide more specific information about the copyright fees for online novels. Therefore, the copyright fees for online novels could range from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of yuan. The specific fees depended on the popularity of the work and market demand.
As for the copyright of the web novel…
The copyright of online novels usually belonged to the author or copyright owner, not the platform. If the online novel was published on a certain platform, such as Qidian Chinese Network, a subsidiary of Yuewen Group, then the copyright actually belonged to Yuewen Group. In terms of copyright protection, web novel authors usually signed a copyright transfer agreement to transfer the copyright to the platform or other third parties in order to obtain revenue and share. At the same time, the platform would also take some measures to protect copyrights such as encrypted data and copyright distribution. However, due to the popularity of online novels and their widespread spread, copyright issues had also caused some controversy. Some copyright owners of online novels claimed that their copyrights had been violated by the platform and tried to defend their rights through legal means. Therefore, the copyright of online novels required the platform and the author to work together to ensure that the copyright was fully protected. At the same time, the platform also needed to abide by relevant laws and regulations and not violate the rights and interests of copyright owners.
Do web novels need to register copyright?
Webnovels required copyright registration. According to the provisions of the " copyright law," any literary work created by anyone, regardless of whether it was published or not, had copyright. As a kind of literary work, web novels should also be protected by copyright law. When writing online novels, the author needed to apply for copyright for his work. If the work was adapted into a movie, TV series, game, or other form of work, the author would also need to apply for copyright for the adapted work. If the online novel was adapted into other works such as movies, TV series, games, etc., the author had to apply for copyright for the adapted work at the same time. If the work was used by many people, the author had to apply for copyright for all the people who used the work. If there were any problems with the copyright of the online novel, such as copyright disputes or copyright encroachment, the author had to actively cooperate with the relevant departments to investigate and deal with them.
Do web novels need to register copyright?
Generally speaking, webnovels didn't need to register their copyrights. This was because, under the protection of copyright law, the creative rights of online novels belonged to the author's personal opinions and creativity, not to the work itself. Therefore, as long as the author of the online novel was an independent and legal author, the creative rights of the work would be protected by copyright law. However, if the online novel involved commercial operations or was adapted into a movie, TV series, or other works, the author might need to apply for copyright registration or relevant commercial protection from the relevant copyright party. This was because the copyright of online novels involved copyright transactions, adaptation, transfer of adaptation rights, authorization to use, and so on. Therefore, the relevant copyright parties needed to register or register to ensure the legitimacy and stability of the copyright. Online novels didn't require copyright registration, but when it came to business operations, they needed to be protected.
How to copyright a web novel?
You can copyright a web novel by registering it with the relevant copyright office in your country. Provide necessary details and documents as required.
How to evaluate the copyright fee of the IP copyright of the web novel
There were many factors to consider when evaluating the IP copyright of a web novel, including but not limited to the following aspects: 1. The popularity of the work: The popularity of the work is one of the important factors in evaluating the value of copyright. If the work already had a large number of fans and users on a certain platform, its copyright value might be higher. 2. Duration of copyright: Duration of copyright is one of the important factors in assessing copyright fees. The copyright fees would be different depending on the copyright period of the work. If the copyright period of the work was short, the copyright fee might be lower. The degree of adaptation of the work: The degree of adaptation of the work is also one of the important factors in evaluating the value of the copyright. If the work was adapted to a greater extent, the copyright fee might be higher. 4. The commercial value of the work: The commercial value of the work is also one of the important factors in evaluating the value of the copyright. If the work had a certain commercial value, such as the copyright-owned work being used for adaptation or creation in the form of movies, games, animations, etc., then the copyright fee might be higher. 5. Market prospects of the work: The market prospects of the work are also one of the important factors in evaluating the value of the copyright. If the market was competitive, the copyright fee might be lower. Other factors: There are other factors such as the author's popularity, copyright disputes, etc. that will affect the copyright fee assessment of the work. In summary, the evaluation of the IP copyright of a web novel needed to consider a number of factors in order to arrive at a reasonable evaluation result.
Is it illegal to continue writing web novels? Was it an copyright violation?
It depended on whether the content of the continuation was the same as the original novel or whether it violated the copyright of the original novel. If the content of the continuation was the same as the plot, character setting, story line, etc. of the original novel, and it was not authorized or approved by the author of the original novel, then it might involve the problem of copyright. In this case, the author of the original novel might sue the author for copyright violation and ask for compensation and an apology. If the content of the continuation was different from the original novel's plot, character setting, story line, etc., it was only an expansion or extension of the original novel and did not violate the copyright of the original novel, then there would be no problem of copyright violation. Of course, regardless of whether it was a continuation or other circumstances, attention should be paid to protecting the rights and interests of the original author, respecting their intellectual property rights and avoiding any acts of copyright violation. If you want to continue writing online novels, it's best to communicate with the original author to obtain authorization or recognition to avoid possible legal risks.
Is there copyright in online novels? If I imitate a plot in a web novel, would it be considered as copyright violation?
Online novels usually had copyrights because copyright protection began in the late 19th century. Therefore, online novel authors and editors needed to protect their copyrights to prevent others from copying, adapting, or distributing their works without permission. If you wanted to imitate a plot in a web novel, you had to consider whether it was a copyright violation. Generally speaking, if the behavior did not violate copyright, it would not be considered as an copyright violation. However, if they violated copyright, they might face legal action and compensation. In order to avoid copyright violation, it is recommended to obtain the permission of the copyright owner before imitating the plot of the online novel. If you are not sure if you have violated copyright, please consult a professional lawyer.
How to apply for the copyright of a web novel
If one wanted to apply for the copyright of a web novel, one had to first confirm the content of the novel and then register the copyright. The copyright registration was an important measure to protect the copyright of a novel. It could prove the original creation and copyright of the novel in law. When applying for copyright registration, you need to submit the following materials: 1. An application form for copyright registration; 2. The original text of the novel must be a legal literary work; 3. Proof of identity such as ID card, passport, etc.; 4. Supporting documents such as proof of inspiration, proof of creative team, etc. After completing the above materials, you can submit an application to the local copyright office. The copyright bureau will review the submitted materials and issue a copyright registration certificate if they pass the review. It should be noted that copyright registration does not guarantee the copyright protection of the novel. It is just a legal proof. If you want to protect the copyright of your novel, you need to take other measures after the novel is published, such as taking copyright protection measures, conducting copyright transactions, etc.
How to prove the copyright of a web novel
The copyright of a web novel can be proven in the following ways: 1. A copyright certificate: The copyright of a web novel can be proven through a copyright certificate. The copyright certificate was issued by the National copyright bureau or relevant agencies to prove the creation, adaptation, translation, distribution, and other rights of the work. If the copyright of a web novel was certified, it could prove that the work had been legally authorized by the copyright owner. 2. A copyright transfer agreement: If the copyright owner of a web novel transfers the copyright to a third party, a copyright transfer agreement is required. The copyright transfer agreement could prove that the copyright of the online novel had been transferred from one owner to another. It also clarified the ownership of the copyright and the conditions for the transfer. 3. Registration of copyright: If the copyright of the online novel is registered with the National copyright bureau, it can be better protected. The copyright registration could prove that the work had been legally authorized by the copyright owner and indicate the time and content of the work. 4. Contract text: The copyright owner of the online novel can leave the contract text signed with the third party to prove that the copyright of the online novel has been authorized to be used by the third party. The contract could include copyright transfer, usage license, profit distribution, etc. to better protect the rights and interests of all parties. To prove the copyright of a web novel, a variety of evidence, including copyright certificates, copyright transfer agreements, copyright registration, contract texts, etc., needed to be collected in order to better protect the rights and interests of the copyright owner.